Apex court grants bail to Ashok Todi

New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) The Supreme Court Friday granted bail to West Bengal-based industrialist Ashok Todi - facing trial for driving his son-in-law Rizwanur Rahman to suicide in 2007 - but warned him against influencing witnesses.A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice P. Sathasivam also granted bail to Ashok Todi’s brother Pradeep Todi, who too is an accused in the case. The Todi bothers had approached the apex court after the high court last month rejected their bail pleas.

The apex court granted the two brothers bail on a personal bond of Rs.100,000 each, besides the surety for each of them that they would not jump bail.

The bench also cautioned them against making any attempt to interfere with the ongoing probe or influence witnesses.

Rahman, a Muslim graphics designer in Kolkata, had committed suicide a month after his marriage to Todi’s daughter Priyanka, a Hindu. The two had married against the industrialist’s wishes. Rahman’s body was found near a railway track Sep 21, 2007.

The apex court bench asked the Todi brothers to surrender their passport to the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the case. The bench also stipulated that they would keep the CBI informed of their whereabouts and their new address if they change house.

The CBI, which had probed the case on the Calcutta High Court’s order, had earlier indicted the Todi brothers, their brother-in-law Anil Sarogi and another accomplice, Mohammed Moiuddin, for driving Rahman to commit suicide.

The seven indicted also included three police officers - Ajoy Kumar, Sukanti Chakraborty and Krishnendu Das. They have been charged with abetment of suicide, criminal intimidation and conspiracy.